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.ASSOCIATION NEWS
TICO hosting fee review consultation for OMCA members: October 7th
OMCA
TICO’s management team has organized a consultation period with registrants and other stakeholders on the proposed changes to the fee model and funding framework. A dedicated virtual session for OMCA members has been scheduled on Thursday, October 7 2021 and we encourage registrants to participate in this important process. The session will begin at 2:00 p.m. A review of TICO’s fee structure and rates has been under consideration for some time. The current funding model has been in place since TICO was delegated in 1997. As the travel industry in Ontario begins recovering, it is the right time to begin the process of creating a modernized, more equitable fee structure. Registrant feedback and input are critical in shaping TICO’s future funding model in support of our consumer protection mandate. Your participation and engagement in this review process are valuable and greatly appreciated. Please register for the Zoom session at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88433602113?pwd=eTNhM2x4RnhOSjhGd1ZtczBJcitlZz09. Click here to access the Consultation Paper. Your feedback can be provided by email directly to TICO at feereview@tico.ca. We also welcome your questions in advance of the virtual consultation session.
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Appointment Selection is Now Open!
OMCA
The appointment selection has officially begun for registered delegates of the 2021 Virtual Marketplace. If you want your name on the list of people to meet, don't wait another minute to register. OMCA members are all navigating the road to recovery, and this online event is the perfect way to reconnect and plan your group tours for 2022/2023. The future's road to recovery starts with today's planning. Registered delegates are now able to access the appointment requests through the MyOMCA event portal.
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P.R.I.D.E. program filling up: New dates announced
OMCA
We are happy to see the P.R.I.D.E. Programs resumed at the end of July based on the Province’s Stage 3 Reopen Ontario plan,. All COVID-19 safety/health measures have and will continue to be in place including protocol for personal protective equipment (PPE), a health questionnaire, daily temperature checks, physical distancing and sanitizing the classroom, supplies and buses. The Sept. 28 – Oct. 1 and Oct. 3- 8 Certification Programs are fully booked. Space is available in the Nov. 21 – 26 program and a new program has been scheduled Nov. 28 – Dec. 3. The Oct. 13 and Nov. 27 Recertification Programs are fully booked. Another program will be scheduled in 2021 based on demand.
Please note that participants will need to provide proof they are fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) when they arrive at the program. This requirement is based on the Province of Ontario’s September 1, 2021 News Release “Ontario to Require Proof of Vaccination in Select Settings”. Individuals who cannot receive the vaccine due to medical exemptions will be permitted to attend with a doctor’s note. We look forward to receiving your registration forms! If you have any questions, please contact Katie Heyworth, Program Coordinator, at 519-546-3883 or kheyworth@schoolbusontario.ca.
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Ontario Tourism Recovery Program takes motor coach tourism into account
OMCA
OMCA is pleased to see that the details released about the upcoming Ontario Tourism Relief Fund (OTRF) include specific mentions for motor coach tourism. Targeted support such as this is exactly what the OMCA team has been fighting for and are relieved to see that our efforts are paying off. Details about the application process for this fund will become available on October 13th. “This is long waited and good news for OMCA members. Our voices have been heard and our advocacy is paying off as hardest hit Motor Coach operators, tour operators, hotels and many other OMCA member’s businesses that experienced 50% or more revenue losses are eligible for between $100,000 and a $1,000,000 in funding, through this program” stated Vince Accardi, OMCA President. The Ontario Tourism Recovery Program (OTRP) will support eligible tourism businesses that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 and is competitive, application-based program supporting private-sector tourism businesses that are significant drivers for their regional tourism economies.
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Plan an unforgettable trip to Brantford. Book Tourism Brantford’s complimentary Bus Welcome Program and receive a personalized step-on welcome and a gift bag that includes pre-packaged local treats for everyone on your bus, including the tour escort and driver.
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.INDUSTRY NEWS
U.S. to drop travel ban for vaccinated international travellers starting in early November
USA Today
The United States announced a new international air travel system Monday, opening travel for all vaccinated foreign nationals in early November, including those currently impacted by the U.S. travel ban.
"This vaccination requirement deploys the best tool we have in our arsenal to keep people safe and prevent the spread of the virus," said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. "Vaccines continue to show that they're highly effective, including against the delta variant, and the new system allows us to implement strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
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Saskatchewan is one big, beautiful place. You will find something that most people could use a bit more of – peace and quiet. Wherever you travel in Saskatchewan, nature is never far away. Even at the centre of Saskatchewan’s major cities, Regina and Saskatoon, you are only minutes away from impressive landscapes and wide-open spaces.
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Summer tourism surge convinces Lord Elgin to reopen
Ottawa Business Journal
When the road to recovery for Ottawa’s hotel industry took a bit of a surprise shortcut last month, the Lord Elgin Hotel shifted its reopening plan into high gear.
After being closed for more than 18 months as the pandemic all but wiped out tourist traffic for most of 2020 and into 2021, the family-owned downtown hotel will start welcoming guests on Oct. 1.
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Here's what 3 travel industry execs are saying now about proof of vaccination for international travel
Travel Week
In the run-up to the election, Justin Trudeau said the federal government would give the provinces $1 billion to help shoulder the costs of provincial vaccine passports.
Days later, and still on the campaign trail, Trudeau suggested that for any provinces that were interested, and had rolled out provincial vaccine passports, the federal government could add certification for international travel.
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Voters have something to say to our next government and local MP
Yahoo!
Young voters make up one of the largest groups of eligible voters in the federal election. However, from 1980 to 2015, Canada’s youngest voters turned out for federal general elections in numbers well below the turnout rate for all other demographic groups.
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DEADLINE STILL STANDS: Plus a burst bubble and other Canadian COVID news
Travel Industry Today
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says job No. 1 of his re-elected Liberal government is to implement a rule requiring most commercial travellers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and that more details will be announced in the coming weeks. Once implemented, the vaccination rule would cover the federal civil service, travellers in federally regulated industries including airlines, trains, and cruise ships, as well as workers in those fields.
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Point Grondine Park is a First Nations-owned backcountry oasis in Ontario
blogTO
Nestled between the frequented French River and Killarney provincial parks is one of Ontario's best-kept secrets: Point Grondine Park.
The 18,000 acres of wilderness on the northern shore of Lake Huron is owned and operated by the Anishinaabek people of Wikwemikong Unceded Territory and opened as a park in 2015.
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Restaurant staff seeking proof of vaccination receive threats, verbal abuse
CBC News
Bill Mahfouz arrived at his restaurant Wednesday to find his long-time server dealing with an irate customer, who threatened to fill his pickup truck with bricks and come back to destroy the restaurant that's been in Mahfouz's family for more than 30 years.
The customer did not approve of showing his proof of vaccination, which was required beginning that day.
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HELP WANTED: Tourism HR Canada launches subsidy program for tourism industry
Travel Industry Today
Tourism employment in August had about 285,000 fewer workers than it did in the same month in 2019 according to Stats Canada’s Labour Force Survey. There are more than 130,000 unfilled accommodations and food services jobs across the country. Tourism HR Canada has announced the launch of a federally funded student work placement program offering paid work-integrated learning opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.
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